Finding Mia
by anotherlifeontheinternet
Summary: Three years ago Intelligence was a job she had gotten to be apart of the team that saved her. Today Intelligence was the job that would save her daughter.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, so I have a new story! All of the credit for this idea goes to the wonderful redlightning, who I have had the privilege to communicate with during this small process. For those of you who are reading my other story, Halstead's Secret, no worries I am not delaying progress on it I just want to put something fresh out there, especially after that fall finale last night :(. Anyway, read and review on what you guys think about the beginning of this story (Redlightning and I have a lot in mind for it) and also feel free to let me know what you guys thought of the fall finale last night! Enjoy :) **

_**Three Years Ago **_

"_Who is my beautiful little girl", Erin beamed towards her small one year old daughter. The little girl laughed in response to Erin talking to her as they sat on the carpet, the TV playing in the background. _

"_You know Mia, Mommy is about to start her new job with Grandpa Hank and you will get to meet all the other nice detectives", she said gently brushing away the strands of hair from her face. _

_Mia just continued to smile at her mother, her big bright hazel eyes listening to her every word. Mia Lindsay was the spitting image of her mother. She had her eyes, her small dimples that appeared when she laughed, and was beginning to have the same dirty blonde locks of hair as Erin. _

"_This is going to be good for us", Erin whispered, mainly to herself, knowing that working for Intelligence was going to give her a fresh start. _

_Mia now clapped in response to Erin's comment, laughing at the noise her hands made when they collided. "Ma", she exclaimed laughing. _

_Erin laughed at her little girl as she gently leaned down to press a kiss on her cheek, "I love you little M", she said getting her to laugh once again. _

_**Present Day**_

The sound of Erin's alarm clock startled her as she woke up with a jolt. Looking over at the clock she knew it was time for work. Erin sighed as she stood from her bed, glancing over at a picture of her and Mia in the park, a few weeks before she was taken.

Mia was taken a couple of months after her third birthday. Erin thought joining Intelligence would be a good thing, more protection for her and her daughter. When a case went bad though and you make one of the crooks mad, they can alter your life forever. At least, that was the scenario Erin has been living off of for the almost a year. A year and two weeks. Mia would be four years old now.

Shaking her head to focus on the day ahead, Erin stood up and began to get ready for work. Three years ago Intelligence was a job she had gotten to be apart of the team that saved her. Today Intelligence was the job that would save her daughter**. **Quickly pulling on a pair of jeans and a comfortable t-shirt, Erin was just about to put her boots on when there was a knock on the door.

"Coming", she called out to whoever stood behind her door. Walking towards it, she began to know who it was. He always showed up unexpected.

"Good Morning Sunshine", Jay Halstead greeted his partner while flashing his signature smirk as he handed over one of the cups of coffee he held in his hands.

Erin couldn't help but laugh at the nickname he had easily come up after the one time he showed up to her apartment early in the morning. Jay had quickly picked up on the fact Erin was never fully ready for the day until she had a cup of coffee in her hands. With coffee she was calm and without it she was cranky.

"Thank you", she said taking the to-go cup gently from his hands and sipping it to immediately notice he had perfected her order.

Jay entered her spacious apartment as Erin turned her back to him to pull on her boots. He had been to her place so many time in their years of partnership and even with Mia not here the place was still a little messy.

"I am almost ready", she said escaping off into her room to fix her hair and the little makeup she wore.

"It's all good. I'm early anyway", Jay answered.

"Like always", she replied causing him to laugh.

Jay still was amazed how happy Erin was usually, compared to the months after Mia was missing when she went through a really hard time. Jay had met Mia several times before the incident. She was the sweetest little girl and out of all of her 'uncles', when Mia was at the precinct it was Jay who she wanted to hang out with. Next to Erin and Voight, Jay worked on Mia's case as hard as he could, but when it was called cold, there was no hope left. He knew Erin still had hope though, that one day they would bust through a warehouse and find her.

"You know I don't even know why you waste time in coming here, Halstead", Erin said emerging from her room ready to go.

"Why wouldn't you want to see my smiling face sooner", he teased causing her to roll her eyes.

"You wish, Halstead", she replied. "I think it's just 'cause you want to drive", she teased him.

"Crap Lindsay, you've discovered my plan. Bring coffee to my partner when I can in hopes she will let me drive", Jay answered acting as if he was crushed.

"Not gonna happen, but maybe one day", she casually said grabbing the keys and walking towards the door.

"Yep, maybe one day", Jay muttered to himself following her out the door.

_xxx_

Upon entering the district, Jay and Erin immediately noticed how quiet it was upstairs in the Intelligence Unit. Everyone was at their desks, keeping busy by working on some paperwork.

"What's going on", Jay asked as he went to go sit at his desk.

"Ask Voight. He has yet to give us a briefing", Ruzek answered looking up from his paperwork to Voight's office where he was currently looking down at a file.

"We have a new case", Erin asked as she took off her coat putting it behind her chair.

Before anyone could say anything in return, Voight emerged from his office. "Lindsay", he called out.

Erin looked toward him and he simply nodded indicating it was important. Glancing over at her colleagues, Erin watched as they just shrugged their shoulders not knowing what was going on either.

"What's up, Hank", she asked as soon as Hank Voight shut the door to his office.

"We have a new case", Hank stated shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I figured. Why haven't you done the briefing yet", Erin questioned.

"I needed to make sure you could handle it because if you can't I will hand it to another unit", he explained.

"You're not one to hand off a case, Hank. Even I know that", Erin responded letting a smile grow on her face.

"Just look at it", Voight said handing her the file.

Erin gave him a questioning look as he handed her the file, but he insisted on having her take it. Upon opening it Erin saw why he wanted to hand this over to another unit.

"A four year old boy. Kidnapped from his home last night. The details of the abduction..they are..um", Hank stuttered trying to find the right words.

"They are similar to Mia's", Erin finished his sentence looking towards him.

Silence took up the room for a few seconds, but was washed away when Voight finally knew what to say.

"If you can't handle it, I will hand it off", he said in almost a whisper.

Erin sighed as she looked down at the file one last time before making her decision. "Let me do this, Hank", she stated simply.

"We will save this kid and then it could lead to ideas as to where Mia is. And if it doesn't at least we saved the kid", she continued.

"Please Hank", she implored.

"Let us do this"


	2. Chapter 2

"Ethan Henderson is a four year old who was abducted last night from his room", Voight said as he began to put up a recent picture of the young boy.

As Voight put up the other pictures from the young boy's room, Jay glanced over at Erin who had her head down looking at the file each of them had gotten. He saw the similarities of the case to Mia's and he knew everyone else did too.

"Why exactly did we get this case", Ruzek suddenly asked. Everyone glared towards Ruzek, "What it was just a question! It doesn't seem that high profile", he defended himself.

"Since you are so curious, Ruzek. He is the son of one of the ADA's, who has already been missing for almost six hours, so let's get going already. Halstead and Lindsay, go to the house. Ruzek and Antonio, go through recent patterns", Voight instructed.

Jay looked towards Erin who was already standing up with her coat in her hands. He quickly followed her out as she sped down the stairs.

"Hey, slow down", he called after her just before she got through the gate.

Erin stopped at the gate watching as her partner ran down the stairs to catch up with her.

"You okay", he asked making eye contact with her as she traced her fingers against the gate.

"Erin, if you don't want to work this case because it brings too many memories back for you, then just tell Voight he will understand", Jay stated.

"I'm fine", Erin said quickly.

"I want to do this because it could, you know, lead to something. You saw the similarities. It could be the same guy, Jay", she explained looking up into his calming eyes.

"And we will catch them, find the little boy, and maybe it could lead to Mia", Jay said.

Erin gave a little smile which Jay kindly returned, "It will lead to Mia. I know it", she said before opening up the gate.

_xxx_

Erin, of course, drove them to the Henderson household, where the crime scene technicians were still processing the scene and trying to collect as much evidence as possible.

Walking up to the house, Erin could almost feel Jay's eyes watching her every move. She knew he was worried about the case and how it could affect her. He also knew about the dreams or nightmares she had in the beginning of Mia's case. She knew he was worried, but it wasn't going to stop her from solving this case.

When the arrived to the front door, one of the crime scene technicians showed them where the parents were located. Erin and Jay walked into the kitchen to find both Mr. and Mrs. Henderson leaning against the counter.

"Mr. and Mrs. Henderson? We are the detectives from the Intelligence unit. I'm Detective Halstead and this is my partner Detective Lindsay", Jay said in a low tone.

"I can't talk to anymore cops. I just need my boy back", Mrs. Henderson stated harshly taking both Erin and Jay back.

"Honey, they are here to help. To get Ethan back", Mr. Henderson said trying to comfort his wife.

"This wouldn't be happening if you hadn't made so many enemies! Why do you think he is gone, John", Mrs. Henderson quickly yelled distancing herself from her husband.

"Why don't we talk separately? Mrs. Henderson, why don't you come with me", Erin suggested directing the wife's attention to the empty living room.

Mrs. Henderson followed Erin into the next room as they say down on the couch.

"Mrs. Henderson...", Erin began to say.

"Please call me Emily. Just talk to me, okay", she cut her off.

Erin gave her a gentle smile. "Do you have any idea who would do this to your family", Erin questioned.

"Being the wife of an ADA is never easy, you know? I'm constantly being questioned about the criminals my husband has put away recently and if they are dangerous", Emily continued.

"So, you think that it was one of the criminals your husband put away", Erin asked trying to get somewhere.

"There are so many threatening things said about John and there are letters and blocked phone calls, but I made sure to protect Ethan from all of it. I guess I didn't do that good of a job", Emily explained, her eyes beginning to swell with tears.

Erin quickly handed her the tissue box that was conveniently sitting on the table beside the couch. "This is not your fault", she said trying to comfort the distraught woman.

Emily Henderson wiped away her tears, "Do you have any children, Detective", she asked quietly.

Erin sighed inwardly giving the woman a smile, "I have a daughter", she said making sure not to bring up the fact Mia had been missing for over a year.

"Then you understand. You understand why I freaked out in the kitchen", Emily began to say.

"Because I can't live another day without him", she finished quietly, more tears beginning to swell in her eyes.

Erin gave the woman a light hearted smile as she heard footsteps coming into the living room. Turning around she saw Jay standing there, indicating he was done talking to the husband.

"Emily, if you need anything, this is my card", Erin said taking out one of her CPD 'business cards'.

You can call anytime you would like. I will make sure to stay in touch with you until we find Ethan. I promise", she continued to explain as Emily took the card from her.

"Thank you so much", Emily said giving her a smile.

Erin returned the smile as she rose from the couch and walked out of the house with Jay. There was a comfortable silence to the car, but as soon as the engine started Erin began to speak.

"Do you remember what I said to you when you took my statement after Mia was taken", she asked him as she drove.

Jay turned his head in her direction, watching as she didn't even make eye contact with him, just focused on the road ahead.

"You wouldn't rest until Mia is found. No matter how long it took you were going to be there when she was found. You told me you couldn't live without her", he said.

Erin smiled briefly as she also remembered the statement she had insisted her best friend should take. A month later the case was cold, but she still never gave up.

"We have to find this boy. I don't want that mother to live like this", Erin stated as they approached a stop light and she turned to look at Jay.

"And we will find him, Erin", he said giving her a smile which she returned.

Nothing more had to be said. The light turned green and they were back to driving. A text from Voight came in saying to meet at the DA's office while the thought of both the little boy who was missing and Mia's case still weighed heavily over the two detective's minds.


	3. Chapter 3

Walking down the hallway, Jay and Erin immediately saw Voight and Antonio in one of the offices looking through boxes of files.

"Hey", Voight called out to them as they entered the office where John Henderson's co-workers had set them up.

"What did they have to say", he asked watching Erin begin to delve into a box of files and Jay look at the ones already on the table.

"The wife is distraught. She thinks that someone who her husband prosecuted and has been released is behind this", Erin explained.

"John Henderson is just in denial. He didn't have much to say about who he thought did it", Jay added.

"You think he's a possible suspect", Antonio asked.

"He gave us access to his files. There's no way he would plan something like this", Jay said.

"Did the wife say anything about who she thought it could be", Voight asked.

"She just said something about threatening phone calls, emails, letters etc.", Erin answered.

"So, we search for files containing records of threatening notes sent to the Henderson's household", Voight explained. "Antonio and Halstead. Go talk to the secretary. See if she has any notes that were delivered to his office", he requested.

Antonio looked over at Jay, who picked up on his non-verbal cue to leave the office. As soon as they stepped out, Antonio looked over at Jay, "How's Erin", he asked.

"Uh, she's doing okay. She wants this to lead to Mia. She never gave up hope, Antonio", Jay explained.

"Would you have", Antonio asked.

"I haven't", Jay immediately answered. Antonio was well aware of Jay's feelings for Erin, even if he had never actually told him. He had seen the spark in his eyes the second he brought him up to Intelligence and he met Erin.

As the approached the main desk, Antonio politely gave a smile to the secretary who sat behind the desk.

"How can I help you detectives", she asked giving them each a smile.

"Is there anyway your office has kept threatening letters towards Mr. Henderson in a place separate than his files", Jay asked.

"Yes. There are quite a few. Being a DA with the highest conviction rate does not get you many friends in this city", the woman lightly joked as she brought Antonio and Jay over to a small room.

_xxx_

Hank looked towards Erin and watched as she vigorously looked through each of the files. He knew this case would weigh heavily on her mind until they actually solved it. Hank also knew that questioning her about it was not always the best thing. But, seeing her like this, anxious and impulsive, made Hank worry more than he had ever been before.

All of a sudden, he heard Erin sigh as she set aside yet another file in the stack determined to be full of cases who were not yet paroled or showed no sign of being a threat to the Henderson family.

"You okay, kid", he finally asked.

"Yeah", she nodded looking up at him, giving a weak smile. Before Voight got to say anything further, he watched as Erin picked up a file, studying it more carefully than the others previously.

"Have you looked at this", she asked handing it over to him.

Voight took the file from her hands and repeated her pattern of carefully studying it. "He threatened John Henderson in open court. Screaming things about his family and how he would get revenge", Erin explained.

"Charged with assault and possession of a deadly weapon. Not exactly the serial killer we were looking for", Voight commented.

"Hey, I think we got something", Jay's voice suddenly called out as he and Antonio returned with a box full of letters.

"The same guy has written letters from prison and called this office multiple times after he was paroled a couple months ago", Antonio explained.

Erin and Voight walked towards the box and examined each letter and phone records the DA's office had so easily put together.

"The guy's name is Jason Clark and this whole box is dedicated to just him", Jay explained.

Erin looked towards Voight as she picked up the file and laid it down on top of the box of explicit letters. "This could be our guy", she said looking around at her team.

Taking out his phone, Voight quickly dispatched Ruzek and Olinsky who were looking through records at the precinct. "Olinsky. Ruzek. We are looking for a Jason Clark. Let's get a ping on his phone and search for any last known location", he requested.

"We're on it boss", Ruzek answered over the speakerphone.

"Let's head back to the district. Draw up a board, figure out our next move", Dawson requested.

Halstead and Lindsay nodded in agreement as they left the office heading back over to where they had parked their car. As soon as they were inside, Erin turned to Halstead asking him the question that had been nagging on her mind.

"You know I can do this, right", she asked wanting his honest opinion.

"Of course, I know you can do this", he said in almost a laughing matter. Erin Lindsay was one of the strongest cops he knew. She could handle almost anything.

"Because I don't want Voight and everyone else thinking that just because this is an abduction case with similar patterns as Mia's case that I can't handle it", Erin explained.

"What made you think that", Jay asked curiously.

"I don't know. There's just a lot going on in my head right now", she stated before starting the car and driving off.

Just as they were getting closer to the precinct, not another word being said about Erin's earlier comment, Jay found the right way to end the conversation Erin had thought ended.

"As long as you believe you can do this, I will back you up 110 percent", he explained.

Erin turned her head slightly as they pulled into the district, giving him a light hearted smile. "Thanks", she answered.

"That's why you have such a trusty house husband like me", Jay joked giving her a smile as she parked the car.

Leaning over to slap him on the shoulder, Jay pretended to wince in pain. "Come on, Halstead, my trusty house husband, we have a case solve", she joked climbing out of the car with Jay on her heels.

Upon entering the district, Platt immediately made eye contact with the two detectives. "Lindsay, I've got a package for you", she said holding up a manilla folder in her hands.

Erin looked towards Jay, who had just as a confused look on his face as she did on hers.

"Thanks Platt", she said approaching the Sergeant's desk and taking the large envelope from her.

Jay had already opened up the gate as she met him back up on the steps. "Say who it's from", he asked.

"Well, aren't you nosey", she teased.

"What?! I'm just curious. You looked pretty surprised to get the package", Jay defended himself.

Erin rolled his eyes at her as they walked up to the main unit. "Whatever, Halstead. And for your information it does not have a return address. Maybe it's on the inside", she explained upon entering the unit.

"Jason Clark", Voight's voice boomed towards the detectives as they took their perspective seats.

"As Lindsay, Halstead, Antonio and I discovered as a slightly impressive record and has dealt with the Henderson's in the past", he continued.

"What kind of record are we talking about", Olinsky asked.

"Small things. Possession of a deadly weapon and a couple assault charges", Jay explained.

"The last assault charge was what put him over the edge though", Erin said as she stood and put pictures up on the whiteboard where Voight had already stuck a picture of their suspect on the board.

"He almost killed his last victim, which was why charges were filed and a court date was set", she explained.

"And in he threatened John Henderson and his family in open court", Ruzek asked.

"Along with letters and strange phone calls. He didn't exactly let up when he got paroled either", Antonio added.

"The ping on his phone", Voight asked openly.

"Nothing recently. He stopped using it around the time he was paroled. So, we can assume he is using a throw away phone", Ruzek explained.

"We do have an address though", Olinsky added.

"Alright, go check it out. Everyone else see if there are any CI's who have had contact with this guy", Voight explained as he went back into his office.

As Ruzek and Olinsky grabbed their jackets and left, Erin looked up towards Jay's desk and saw him pick up his phone. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted, Antonio do the same thing.

Looking down at the manilla envelope, Platt had given her, Erin figured this was the perfect time to open it. Thinking of all the things she could have ordered or sometime of paperwork she could have missed. Did she forget to pay for her apartment? Mia's renewal forms for life insurance?

Opening up the envelope, Erin was surprised to not see a stack of papers like she expected. There was one picture laying in the envelope, a sticky note attached to it. Pulling it out, she revealed a black and white picture of kids. Kids, sitting in a circle in a close quartered room. There had to be at least twenty kids huddled in that room. But, there was one child circled several times with red sharpie. Next to it laid a stickie note with the words, "Where's Mia", written on it.

Erin's heart skipped a beat as she looked at the child circled. It was a little girl who looked like she had just gotten done crying. Her hair fell almost to her shoulders and there was one thing she resembled Erin never thought she would see again.

"_Mommy", a three year old Mia whispered as she entered Erin's dark bedroom. _

_Climbing up on the bed, Mia continued to be persistent about waking her mother, "Mommy, are you awake", she whispered now gently tapping her. _

_Rolling over, half awake, Erin took in the sight of her daughter kneeling on her bed. "What's wrong little M", she asked gently. _

"_I had a bad dream", Mia explained her breath getting hitched in her throat as she choked back a sob. _

_Erin immediately sat up as she heard Mia begin to lightly cry, "Hey", she said gently wrapping her arms around her small toddler as she cried. _

_Gently stroking her hair, Erin began to hear Mia's sobs subside. "What was the dream about sweetie", Erin asked lifting Mia's head from her chest. _

_Mia looked up at her mother, her eyes a little swell from crying and her lip still pouting. "There were monsters and I couldn't get away. They were really big too. Like dinosaurs", Mia explained. _

_Erin swiped away her tears as Mia calmed down a little bit, "Do you want to sleep with me tonight", she asked already knowing the answer. _

_Mia pouted her lip gently, giving her best puppy dog eyes which she knew her mother could not resist. _

"_Come here", Erin stated opening up her covers as Mia cuddled into Erin before falling fast asleep in her mother's arms. _

The pouty lip. Erin would recognize that look anywhere. It was how Mia got her way in any situation. That was her little girl in that picture.

"Erin", Jay's voice suddenly asked snapping Erin away from her thoughts.

"Yeah", she said shoving the picture back in the envelope as she looked up at her partner.

"My CI has a hint on Clark for us", Jay repeated figuring she didn't hear him the first time.

"Alright let's hit it", Erin said shoving the envelope in the bottom drawer of her desk, mentally reminding herself to ask Platt who delivered it later.

**A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I'm starting to highlight on a little bit more of Erin with Mia and possibly some Linstead. So, review with any comments or things you would like to see :) **


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